We were attacked, but everyone was safe. No problems here!
Karen was hovering above us—I hadn’t realized the bird had followed us.
Maybe something’s wrong back home?
I pointed in the general direction of the mountain, but Karen shook its head.
Okay, no problems at home either—so why do you look worried, then? Strange bird.
I looked around for the giant bird who’d attacked us, which wasn’t hard to spot, given its size. It was even bigger up close. Upon closer inspection, it looked less like a bird and more like a giant lizard with wings.
Still massive, though.
“Refrigerate, Chronostasis.”
I’d butcher the carcass when we got home, but I still wanted to keep the meat as fresh as possible until then. After a quick game of charades with Koa, I confirmed that the winged lizard was edible.
All right, time to head home... Easier said than done.
Deciding that Ascend would probably be the easiest way to transport the carcass, I prepared to cast the spell. My bag slid down my arm as I did.
Hmm.
The Three Eyes had made it. They’d made quite a few in fact—each upgraded to feature infinite storage, of course—for which I was thankful now that the clay dolls seemed to be borrowing them whenever they pleased. Usually, I filled the bag by hand, but now I was wondering if I could simply Teleport things into the bag. It was worth a shot. I imagined the huge carcass vanishing, like some gaudy magician’s trick.
“Teleport the winged lizard inside the bag.”
Cool. Guess we’re free to hunt a little more before going home, then.
I teleported the contents of the bag back out, placing them before the waiting Gremlins. A giant winged lizard. A giant boar-like monster. A giant bovine-ish creature—
They’re all giant, okay? Everything’s giant, and these magic bags are too efficient.
Next came butchering—another job that had recently been taken from me. The Gremlins handled it now. With how much we’d brought back today, though, they permitted me to help.
Yay! I get to do something...for once. I feel like every time I find a new job to do, it gets stolen away from me just as quickly.
The work was over in a flash, and the Gremlins shuffled off with their new hides. I watched them go—feeling slightly lonely—when a stomping noise made me turn. Behind me was a large wooden platform. It had been one of the One Eye’s most recent projects, an outdoor eating space large enough for everyone to sit on it at the same time. For some reason, though, all of the animals had started to gather on it now.
A flash of movement from the house revealed the baby spiders emerging, a jar of fish sauce in hand. I looked away, only for my eyes to land on the antlets, who were in the process of setting up the barbecue.
Looks like it’s dinnertime.
I decided to grill the winged lizard, much to everyone’s apparent unease.
Don’t worry, guys. I’ll cook it properly. Well, I’ll do my best, anyway. Stop looking at me like that, okay?
It was delicious. Despite being a flying creature, it didn’t taste like chicken, to my slight disappointment. The boar-like thing had tasted like pork, and I was really missing the taste of chicken. I’d made a dipping sauce out of fish sauce and fruit juice, which had only added to the flavor.
The animals were still fighting over the choicest pieces of meat. I tried my best to ignore it, which wasn’t easy. Their fights—however friendly they might be—had been getting more and more intense of late. I hoped it was just my imagination.
The sauce is great... But damn, I want some rice.
I headed inside after dinner. Well, more accurately, I tried to head inside but froze outside the entrance.
It had a door.
It was a sliding door, of all things. After I’d acquired thread—and then cloth—I’d hung up a sheet of fabric to serve as a rudimentary barrier between the house and the outside world. I hadn’t the faintest idea where the door had come from. I carefully slid the door open and stepped inside. The One Eyes were waiting for me.
I was quickly ushered down to the second basement level and presented with a node of silvery ore.
“Um... What do you want me to do with this?”
I was dragged back upstairs. One of the dolls pointed to the ore, followed by a nearby window, and finally, the door.
Oh, you want me to make some glass? You got it.
A minute or two later the door was complete, with a large glass panel for natural light. The door had been installed on rails, smoothly gliding out of the rock face itself. It was another masterful piece of construction, just as I’d come to expect from the One Eyes by now.
It wasn’t just the entrance. The toilet, the bathroom—every room now had a door. To my surprise, the third floor now featured a room for Chai’s new friends too—the One Eyes had clearly made it while I was out hunting. I stopped to inspect the new addition to the house, but a tugging on my leg urged me along. Apparently, my job wasn’t over yet.
I was led back to the basement. Ten more doors lined the walls, awaiting glass panels. A One Eye tugged on my pant leg again, pointing to the ore, and back to the doors. I shrugged and did as instructed, fitting each door with a large sheet of glass.
Okay, I’m done. What the hell are you gonna use these for, though?
Another tug. I gave in, letting myself be pulled back upstairs and into the dining room. The doll pointed to the wall, then at a door that had followed us into the room, carefully carried by another group of the One Eyes. I looked out the window. The wooden platform was just on the other side of the wall—
Oh, it’s a deck. You want me to make a door leading to the deck. Okay, no worries— Wait, since when can you do that?
I’d looked back inside to find the One Eye marking out the desired location of the door with glowing, obviously magical lines.
You guys couldn’t use magic before, right? Well, you’re clearly using it now, so maybe you could. Hmm... Okay. Seems fine.
I transformed the rock as instructed, and soon enough, the dining room now opened into an outdoor entertaining space. While I’d been inside, the deck had gained support posts and a framed roof, upon which was laid a massive sheet of sturdy fabric—clearly some of the Three Eyes’ work. In no time at all, the deck had been covered by a seemingly effective sunshade. I watched as the clay dolls tottered off and returned in twos and threes, each group bearing new furniture—benches, tables, comfortable chairs—each crafted in the style I’d come to realize that the One Eyes preferred. They adjusted the position of each new item carefully.
They look kinda proud of themselves, don’t they? They’re pretty cute... Guess I just gotta let them do what they like.